Fr. Timothy Reid is your guide for The Commentaries: The Interior Castle. Written by one of the most revered spiritual figures in Catholic history, Saint Teresa of Ávila, The Interior Castle stands as a beacon of Christian mysticism and spiritual insight. Absorb the wisdom of this classic in 20 episodes that will illuminate the path for seekers of spiritual enlightenment.
Fr. Timothy Reid, a convert to the Catholic Faith, earned his B.S. in Marketing from Indiana University, but later changed his focus to pursue the study of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. After attaining an M.A. in Philosophy in 1996, he took a job with the Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Following his Theology studies at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, earning an M.A. in Theology and a Masters of Divinity, Fr. Reid was ordained in 2004. In 2007, he was made Pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he continues to serve today. Fr. Reid is a Third Order Carmelite and serves as the Spiritual Director of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Secular Carmelite group in Charlotte.
Fr. Timothy Reid begins the exploration of The Interior Castle by putting this Catholic classic into historical context, explaining the castle imagery used by St. Teresa of Ávila, and breaking down how the book is organized. In episode one, Fr. Reid also provides a brief summary of each of the
This episode begins with an anthropological discussion of St. Teresa’s understanding of the greatness of the human soul and our human dignity, and continues with Teresa’s explanation of how we enter The Interior Castle through prayer, making a distinction between the two types of souls found outside the castle. Episode
St. Teresa describes a soul in mortal sin, and Fr. Reid provides relevant information from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the same subject. St. Teresa also stresses the importance of self-knowledge and humility, how the devil tries to trick us into false humility, and how to overcome that.
St. Teresa advises to conform ourselves to God’s will, embrace the cross, and be willing to suffer in order to advance in The Interior Castle. Fr. Reid explains how the souls in The Second Mansions differ from those in The First Mansions, and stresses the importance of learning how to
Just because our souls get to an advanced state, St. Teresa implores us to understand how easy it can be for us to fall and go backwards in the spiritual life. Fr. Reid stresses the importance of having fear of the Lord and breaks down exactly what that means. Episode
St. Teresa again counsels humility and seeking to conform oneself with God’s will. And she teaches us that our perfection lies not in the consolations we receive from God, but in our love. Fr. Reid explains how we must be obedient, have someone to be accountable to, and look only
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